Women's Track & Field

Season Preview: Track & Field

MEQUON, Wis. - The Concordia
University Wisconsin men's and women's track & field teams will
kick off the 2012 season this Saturday, when they'll travel to
Kenosha, Wis. to take part in the State Private College Invite at
Carthage College.

The Falcons started the indoor season at this same meet
last season, in which the women's team finished fourth and men's
team placed fifth.

Head coach Russ DeLap is excited for the season to get
started, and says a number of his athletes have a chance to have
major success in 2012.

"This season looks very promising," DeLap said. "We
have a record number of athletes with seventy-five, and there are
many who I believe will be towards the top of our conference in
their specific events."

Both the men's and women's squads are coming off
successful 2011 campaigns that featured record-setting performances
on both sides.

On the men's side, the 4x200m Relay consisting of
seniors Alex Pawlak (Colgate, Wis.) and Justin Rogers (Milwaukee,
Wis.) and sophomores Jonny Balsman (Rockford, Ill.) and Sean Pawlak
(Germantown, Wis.) set the CUW school record with a time of 1:31.56
at the Eastbay/Pointer Invitational last February.

Senior Vincent Greefkes (Jackson, Wis.) also had a big
year, setting indoor school records in the 55m Hurdles (7.74
seconds) and the 60m Hurdles (8.38 seconds).

Greefkes also broke the outdoor school record in the
110m Hurdles with a time of 15.03 seconds at the Carroll University
Invitational last April.

For the women, sophomore Kristin Sitte (Greenfield,
Wis.) set an indoor program record in the 55m Hurdles, finishing in
9.54 seconds at last year's Northern Athletics Conference
Championships.

Sitte also set an outdoor school record in the
100m Hurdles (17.02 seconds), and was part of the record-setting
4x400m Relay team (4:10.02) that included sophomores Maxine
Blohowiak (Green Bay, Wis.) and Jessica Hennig (Springfield, Ill.),
as well as former Falcon Sara Wollner.In order for
his teams to achieve more success this season, DeLap knows that
staying healthy will be critical.

"We have the opportunity to do some great things this
year," DeLap said. "The key will be to progress our training in
such a fashion that will keep the injuries at a minimum, and then
have the team peak for indoor and outdoor conference."

Last season, the women's team finished second at the
Indoor NAC Championships, falling behind only Aurora
University.

The Falcon men finished third at indoor conference, and
were just one point away from earning a second-place tie with
Aurora.

DeLap, in his second year with the program, says the
NAC is only getting better, and that the Falcons will need to stay
consistent if they hope to be near the top again this season.

"The NAC continues to grow and the other teams will be
bigger and better as well," DeLap said."Nothing is given and we will have to
earn everything.But I can
feel good things coming our way as long as we continue to grow and
work hard; I am really excited about our team and where we are
heading."